200-year-old Scotch whiskey maker enters the AI age with generated labels

Scottish whiskey maker Glenlivet has produced part of the brand’s most recent advertising campaign through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The biggest names in the world are embracing AI and the technologies that can generate image and video content through elaborate algorithms.

Now the timeless tradition of whiskey making sees one of its stalwarts enter the arena with the collection known as the ‘The Twelve Elements’.

In a collaboration with the Whiskey Exchange Cabinet, one of the oldest Scottish labels is using its blend of blockchain technology and the timeless allure of the amber nectar known as “uisce beatha” in Scots Gaelic or the ‘water of life’ to the rest of us.

”The Glenlivet: The Twelve Elements Collection is the first drop on The Whisky Exchange Cabinet, the newly launched blockchain-enabled marketplace which uses smart contracts and immutable Blockchain technology to curate, authenticate and sell some of the most sought-after bottles,” the drink-purchasing platform said.

What is a smart contract?

Once a user has registered with the blockchain site, then they will receive what is known as a ‘smart contract’. This is essentially a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), which are unique digital items that cannot be duplicated.

Think of this as a stamp or a passport for a bottle that can only be registered digitally as a right of ownership and trade.

The Whiskey Exchange Cabinet says it will “look after the bottle until such a time as you, or a future owner, decide to redeem the smart contract and claim your bottle. Smart contracts offer a simple and secure solution to building and managing your spirits collection. The Whisky Exchange Cabinet uses them to enhance traceability from the distillery to a bottle’s final owner, and to simplify the trading experience.”

AI in the barrel

The branding exercise was released across social media by the world famous Scottish whiskey maker;

The Twelve Elements collection unites two meticulously chosen casks, aged 50 years to perfection.

Click via our link in bio to find out more! pic.twitter.com/IiSxoxNR8e

— The Glenlivet (@TheGlenlivet) February 16, 2024

The Scottish distiller was created in 1824 and celebrates its bicentennial through the use of AI to earmark a special landmark creation. The Glenlivet: Air, Angel Share, Barley, Cooper, Copper, Distiller, Earth, Fire, Heritage, Time, Water and Wood will be a landmark find for any whiskey collector.

”Our extraordinary 50-year-old whisky pays homage to the twelve essential elements of The Glenlivet single malt, from the spiritual to the scientific. The design of each exclusive bottle represents an individual element in the whisky’s craft, generated by AI technology,” a release on the company site stated of the special occasion.

Glenlivet also boldly claims that “this category-first innovation continues our 200-year legacy of pushing boundaries in whisky, forever moving forwards to set new standards in craftsmanship and flavor to produce the highest quality liquid.”

Those hoping to land a bottle of the half-a-century-old scotch will have to find €40,000 or $43,406.34 for the limited set that shows off the twelve elements that go into the iconic whiskey-making process.

Image Credit: Glenlivet.

Brian-Damien Morgan

Freelance Journalist

Brian-Damien Morganis an award-winning journalist and features writer. He was lucky enough to work in the print sector for many UK newspapers before embarking on a successful career as a digital broadcaster and specialist.

His work has spanned the public and private media sectors of the United Kingdom for almost two decades.

Since 2007, Brian has continued to add to a long list of publications and institutions, most notably as Editor of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning multiple awards for his writing and digital broadcasting efforts.

Brian would then go on to be integral to the Legacy 2014, Media and Sport Directorate of the Scottish Government. Working with ministers to enact change through sport with institutions like the Homeless World Cup.

He would then lend his skills to multiple private sector institutions. Brian would win national acclaim helping his country deliver judicial education and communications during the pandemic-era. Earning a writ of personal distinction from the Lord President of Scotland for his efforts as the Head of Communications and Digital for the Judicial Office for Scotland.

Brian has returned back to the thing he loves most, writing and commenting on developments across technology, gaming and legal topics, as well as any-and-all things sport related.